Joker: Folie à Deux Director Reveals Totally Unexpected Reaction Arthur Would Have to Batman

Todd Phillips argues Batman is an "alpha male."

By Jenna Anderson

Joker: Folie à Deux is about to make its debut in theaters, continuing the journey of Arthur Fleck / Joker (Joaquin Phoenix). The Joker films feature a unique connection to the larger DC mythos, with supporting roles for characters like Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey), best known for his comic mantle of Two-Face. That being said, the involvement of Batman himself has been few and far between, outside of a brief appearance from a young Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson) in the first film. In a recent interview with IGN, franchise director Todd Phillips revealed what Arthur's reaction might be to a fully-formed version of Batman.

"I think Arthur would be in awe of the alpha male that is Batman. I really do. I think Arthur would look up and appreciate it," Phillips explained. "I think he'd be in awe of that. I think Arthur always had a fascination with men at ease, and he is not a man at ease. Murray Franklin in the first movie was a man at ease. He probably saw the guys he worked with as men at ease, and that was the one thing that Arthur could never be was a man at ease." 

What Is Joker 2 About?

Joker: Folie à Deux finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him. The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener, alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from Joker.

"I actually think it makes wonderful sense," Beetz previously said of the film's musical elements. "I wasn't really surprised by that Todd has always had a creative approach to the character. I love musicals, and I think of them as the characters are feeling and experiencing so much that they can only sing and dance about it, whether in sorrow or in joy. And I can actually see that within myself as well, because singing and dancing is quite a cathartic experience for me. I was going through a really, really difficult time at one point in my life, and I just started dancing and crying by myself. And that was an expression that matched where I was at that moment. And so, I can see Arthur, who is feeling and experiencing so much, dancing and singing about it. He's the Joker, so I think it makes sense to me."

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Is Joker 2 in the DC Universe?

Joker: Folie à Deux is technically classified as a DC Elseworlds production, meaning that it exists in a canon outside of James Gunn and Peter Safran's forthcoming DC Universe of movies and Max-exclusive television shows. In a previous post on the social media platform Threads, Gunn revealed his involvement in Folie a Deux, explaining that he did give notes on the finished footage. That being said, Gunn did stress that the Joker sequel is one of the few upcoming DC films being shepherded by Warner Bros. Pictures, given when the film was first put into development.

Joker: Folie à Deux will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, October 4th.

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